Got an idea for an interesting mod... maybe

[jakeac5253]

I have a guitar that I'd like to mod if at all possible. The guitar is a single pickup master volume setup and I was thinking of a way to get a capacitor in there somehow (without using a push/pull pot or drilling a new hole). I thought maybe I could insert a cap between the third lug of the volume and the bottom of the pot. The pickup would always be full on but I might be able to get some cool sounds??? Don't have time to try it out now because I am on my way out the door, but I thought I'd see what you guys think.

Thanks.

[Mark Hammer]

There are plenty of fun things to do with caps, but I think you need to be a bit more specific in what you're trying to do. Straddling the two outside lugs of the volume pot with a cap will essentially mimic a tone control that has been turned down all the way.

One thing I like to do is stick a cap of around 1500-2200pf between the input and the wiper (middle lug). What this does is provide the brightness compensation that you find on Fenders, but extends the range of it downwards so that not only the upper treble is retained as you turn down, but so are the mids.

The effective result of this addition is to turn the volume pot into a sort of bass rolloff control until you hit around 5 or 6, and after that it becomes a volume control. Useful if you have a bridge pickup that has too much bass.

[jakeac5253]

I've got one of those treble bleed circuits on my Jackson guitar, and I've been thinking about removing it because that particular pickup doesn't really have all that much bass to begin with. What I hope to do with this guitar is add a little tonal color to the guitar, another layer of tone because right now there is only the pickup and volume pot creating the tone. I think I am thinking the opposite of a treble bleed, where it rolls off the treble slightly but not like a tone control would, more like a softening of the treble. I think maybe to put a diode and cap in series from the wiper to the input lug so as I roll it down the stuff that passes the cap goes back to the input. Or maybe it should be between the wiper and bottom of the pot for that effect. Sorry if this elicits a WTF from everyone reading, but I am brainstorming.

[Mark Hammer]

I think you may be asking more from a single passive control than is feasible.

Alternatively, if the guitar has a humbucker, consider the tone control of the Peavey T-60. That's a very clever circuit that can extract a broad range of sounds.

[flyneye]

Caps? Think Gretsch

Clever way to add caps? I always think of the Gretsch mud switch. DPDT on-on-on with two caps at your favorite tone settings and middle left wide open. 1/4 in drillbit ,a mini toggle, a coupla caps and youre on your way.